Rockland County Times

Assemblyman Mike Lawler (R,C- Pearl River) released the following statement after holding a press conference announcing his campaign for Congress in New York’s 17th Congressional District.

“Two years ago, when I announced my candidacy for the State Assembly, I did so because I believed New York State was headed in the wrong direction. One party rule in Albany brought us the disastrous cashless bail law; job-killing taxes and burdensome regulations; out-of-control spending; and a corrupt state government, headed by a now disgraced, corrupt former Governor. It’s why New York led the nation in outmigration. We needed change and I believed that I had something to offer. We took on the hard fight and won, unseating a 14-year incumbent in a 2-to-1 Democratic district by over 2,500 votes, building a broad coalition across the district in the process.During my time in the Assembly, I have stood up for Rockland County, fighting for our residents and delivering results.

“That’s why today, I’m proud to announce my candidacy for New York’s 17th Congressional District. After spending a combined 90 years in Washington, D.C., folks it’s time to end the Biden, Pelosi, and Sean Patrick Maloney Agenda. As Chairman of Nancy Pelosi’s political committee, Sean Patrick Maloney has served as both the head cheerleader for the failed Biden-Pelosi agenda and as their chief enforcer in Congress. During his 10-years in Washington, D.C., he went from being a self-avowed moderate to one of the most partisan members, who has failed to deliver for Hudson Valley families, and he knows it.  It’s why he’s so worried about losing re-election, in what will be the worst election year for Democrats since 2010. It’s why he forced Mondaire Jones out of this Congressional seat. Here’s the truth – this seat is winnable, the polling shows we’re ahead, and we will win it in November.”

Lawler, who took office in 2020, has in many ways defined his career through opposition to Democrat polices. The Pearl River native was on the front line in the fight against the New York State Accessory Homes Act, a proposal put forth by Governor Hochul,  which would have required that all municipalities in the state allow at least one accessory dwelling unit per residential lot. Lawler and other republicans in the state legislature successfully nixed the proposal, which they were concerned would lead to a huge influx of overcrowding in smaller municipalities and trample on the principle of home rule, which dictates that zoning decisions should be made at the county and town level. Lawler was also an outspoken critic of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, and like many Rocklanders expressed outrage at the Cuomo’s decision to grant an early prison release to some of the county’s worst criminals, including Robert McCain and Richard LaBarbera, the men who rapped and killed Pearl River teen  Paula Bohovesky in 1980. In the wake of that controversy, Lawler cosponsored Paula’s Law, a bill which would eliminate the possibility of parole for any person convicted of murdering an underage victim during a sexual assault.

Most recently, Lawler has focused his attention on providing tax relief for his constituents. In March, Lawler proposed creating a thousand, dollar tax credit for commuters who report suffering a blown tire while traveling on New York’s notoriously rough  state roads. In that same time period, Lawler cosponsored legislation  that would eliminate the state gas tax for one year, and permanently do away with the state’s tax on overtime earnings.

CBS New York

NEW YORK — There’s an update in the fight to rename the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge.

A bill was introduced more than a year ago in Albany to restore the bridge’s original name — the Tappan Zee.

On Monday, a bipartisan group of lawmakers prevented the bill from being held in the Transportation Committee. This will allow it to move to the floor of the Assembly for a vote.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo had the bridge renamed after his father back in 2018. 

Lawmakers said the move was done without the public’s input. Calls to restore the name grew even louder once Andrew Cuomo resigned from office amid scandal. 

Assemblyman Mike Lawler, who sponsored the bill, shared the following statement with CBS2:

“Today is a great day for those who believe in restoring the indigenous and historical name of a bridge that millions of New Yorkers still call by its rightful name – the Tappan Zee Bridge.”

“A bipartisan group of legislators rejected the long-used practice of ‘holding’ bills in committee, when they prevented Bill A.6594 from being held in the Transportation Committee. In fact, Chairman Magnarelli was forced to immediately withdraw the bill from the agenda – giving it another chance to advance to the floor of the Assembly for a vote. I will continue to push in the coming weeks for this bill to receive an up or down vote on the floor of the Assembly.”

“I sincerely hope that my colleagues in the Majority will see the benefits of removing the tarnished Cuomo name from the Tappan Zee Bridge and restoring the important indigenous and historical name that so many of us in the Hudson Valley cherish.”

News 12

There’s new legislation in the works to help first responders in Rockland County.

Assemblyman Mike Lawler introduced proposals Friday that would provide either a 10% or 100% property tax exemption for volunteer firefighters in Rockland County who are actively serving for at least five years.

Another piece of legislation he announced would allocate $250 million for first responders across the state to tap into for training.

Gov. Kathy Hochul recently signed similar legislation for volunteer firefighters in Monroe County to receive a 10% property tax cut.